Family, colleagues remember Eastham activist with passion for civic life

Tuesday

Aug 8, 2017 at 8:11 PMAug 9, 2017 at 6:29 AM

Haven Orecchio-Egresitz @HavenCCT

EASTHAM — Mary Lou Petitt, a longtime Cape Cod political activist and former member of the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates, died July 31 at the age of 90 after dedicating her life to fighting for the less fortunate, according to her family and colleagues.

“I thought about the oyster shell. The oyster produces a beautiful pearl, but not until an irritant is introduced,” said Petitt’s daughter, Julia Quigley, of Orleans. “She was the irritant that caused change, that caused something greater to happen.”

Petitt served on the county's legislative board for 14 years, passionately and articulately arguing her stance on county issues, fellow delegates said. While Petitt held less than 3 percent of the vote based on each town's population, it wasn’t uncommon for her to use her vast knowledge on each issue to persuade delegates with a larger ratio to take her side, according to John Ohman, the current dean of the assembly.

Ohman and Petitt met at a Christmas party in 1996, and she became his mentor for the first 10 years of his political career, he said.

Ohman said he was inspired by Petitt’s cohesive, well informed arguments and her strong-willed dedication to social justice.

“She had a command of speech and language that would make people listen to her,” Ohman said. “She had one of the smallest votes on the Cape, but she carried the day just with her enthusiasm.”

Petitt, Ohman said, was “ultimately prepared” for any conversation and would go to all the meetings necessary to learn about subjects on which she’d eventually vote.

When later discussing certain topics with her colleagues, Petitt was known to share her first-hand accounts with them.

“‘If you were at the meeting, this is what you would have heard,’” Ohman recalled Pettit telling her colleagues.

While Petitt retired from the assembly several years ago, Ohman recalled her returning about a year ago on behalf of the League of Women Voters, which she had been involved with for 50 years, to argue their position on a restructuring of county government.

Ronald Bergstrom, former speaker of the assembly and current chairman of its finance committee, painted a similar picture of a fierce and devoted activist.

In the past few years, Bergstrom recalled Petitt stopping by to support issues she was dedicated to, such as the Cape Light Compact and sustainable energy.

“She was very passionate,” he said. “She was a very progressive voice for a lot of good causes.”

Mary Pat Flynn, vice chairwoman of the Barnstable County Commission, said it was Petitt who pushed her to get involved in county government about 25 years ago.

At the time, Flynn, who was a selectman, would attend events primarily in Falmouth, but after they met Petitt encouraged her to branch out to other towns on the Cape.

“She was always working to get women involved in the political climate. We got together several different times,” Flynn said. “If you showed up at something, she would follow up with you. That’s how I got more engaged on Cape Cod.”

Petitt raised her family in Ramsey, New Jersey, where she was involved in the League of Women Voters and affordable housing issues.

When her husband, William Petitt, retired and the family moved to Eastham, she saw similarities in the need for affordable housing on Cape Cod and was a driving force to create the Community Development Partnership in Eastham, according to the organization’s executive director, Jay Coburn.

During her time at the organization, which is dedicated to developing affordable housing, local business and sustainability, Petitt fought to have a portion of Cape and Islands license plate sales contributed to the organization and was involved in several affordable housing projects, including The Canal House in Orleans.

As recently as this spring, Petitt met with Coburn about a new project aimed at training municipal leaders on affordable housing issues.

Florence Seldin, of Chatham, who has also served on the League of Women Voters for more than 50 years, said she always admired Pettit for her sharp mind and principled demeanor.
She was dedicated to the lives of the homeless, elderly, and minorities and continued to be involved even during the last year of her life, Seldin said.
"She was very constant on her principles," Seldin said.

Gwen Pelletier, who was the executive director of the Community Development Partnership from 1994 until 2006, described Petitt as someone who was acutely interested in how government services worked for the people in her community.

“She genuinely cared about other people and the quality of their lives,” Pelletier said.

Church services for Petitt will be held at 11 a.m. Aug. 19 at the Federated Church of Orleans.